Question

A pitcher throws a softball toward home plate. When the ball hits the catcher’s mitt, its horizontal velocity is 32 meters/second. The softball’s velocity goes to 0 meters/second in 0.8 seconds when caught. If the softball has a mass of 0.2 kilograms, what’s the force of the impact? Use F = ma, where .

The force of the impact is
newtons

Answer 1

8 newtons

Step-by-step explanation:

Hope this help!

Answer 2

Force applied to stop the softball: - 8 N

See if they are asking for the absolute value of this, which will be 8 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to apply the formula F = m * a, we need to find the acceleration that is imparted on the ball to change its velocity from 32 m/s to zero m/s.

We use the formula for acceleration:
`a=(v_f-v_i)/(t)`

where the initial velocity
`v_i` is 32 m/s, the final velocity
`v_f` is 0 m/s, and the time (t) it took to make this change is: 0.8 seconds:

`a=(v_f-v_i)/(t)\\a=(0-32)/(0.8)\\a=-40 \, (m)/(s^2)`

where the answer comes on
`(m)/(s^2)` given the units for the velocities and time used.

Then, knowing the mass of the softball, we can calculate the force applied:

`F=m*a=0.2\,kg*(-40\, (m)/(s^2) =-8N`

So the absolute value of this force (force of impact) is 8 Newtons.